


Strikhedonia

by Principia



Category: Chuck (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Post-Season/Series 05, Post-Season/Series 05 Finale, Post-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-03
Updated: 2013-10-03
Packaged: 2017-12-28 08:34:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/989950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Principia/pseuds/Principia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Prompted by purpleaffair, re: the foreign words meme on Tumblr.</p>
<p>Photos from Stephanie Diani's shoot of Yvonne Strahovski prior to the 2013 Emmys, for the New York Times.</p></blockquote>





	Strikhedonia

Sarah is standing in front of a not-entirely-glamorous natural backdrop (it's been a dry summer), hands in her pockets as she looks warmly into the camera.

A few yards away, back past the surprisingly patient Casey, who'd offered his services as photographer for old times' sake, Morgan is trying to wrestle a completely outsized gardenia boutonnière onto Chuck's lapel, while further back on the patio Alex is helping Molly tighten up her braids, and back further still, at the bar, Carina, Zondra, and Gertrude are taking turns  _educating_  the bartender on the right way to make their preferred cocktails.

"Buddy, I don't think the lapels were big enough even in the 1970s," Chuck says, laughter in his voice.

Stephen's considering the flowers in his hand, bemused. "Morgan, are you, are you sure these aren't the ladies' corsages?"

Chuck beams over at his father, then ducks his head as his eyes get a little misty. He shoots a glance over to Sarah and softly mouths "Thank you, baby."

As if  _he_  hadn't had anything to do with bringing his father back to the land of the living.

"Gardenias are not only Madame Bartowski's favorite, but they are also the boutonnière of choice in France," Morgan half-grunts, as he continues struggling with the uncooperative floral arrangement in his hand.

"We're in California. That's a completely different species of gardenia, Morgan," Stephen counters, not unkindly.

Morgan abruptly stops fussing with Chuck's lapel. "Oh,  _now_  someone tells me."

"But, but I could be wrong. I haven't even been on a date since the Ford administration."

Chuck lets out a hoot, and Morgan chuckles, mumbling something like "Good one, Mr. B."

It's good to have the right people here.

Or maybe it's right to have the good people here.

After the series of minor miracles it had taken to even find out Stephen Bartowski was  _alive_ , much less rescue him from the clutches of the Ring's long-scattered remnants, Sarah had tried contacting Mary again. Giving up didn't come easily to Sarah Bartowski. If Mary didn't have any interest in attending her son's vow renewal, maybe knowing that her husband was alive and here would bring her running.

But it had turned out, after some sharp and deliberate prodding with Ellie's help, that the big show Mary had put on for Alexei Volkoff's benefit had been just that and  _congratulations_  and  _I think we've said everything we need to say to each other_. Sarah had finally had to admit maybe there were some things that she would need to let go.

Besides, between Mom, Ellie, and Bolonia Tucker, both Sarah and Chuck had  _plenty_  of mothering today. Even Honey Woodcomb was here -- the Very Awesomes being  _delighted_  to attend, especially since they'd apparently had to beat feet back to their hospitals of residence before Chuck and Sarah had been able to make it to the altar the first time.

(Which explained why Sarah hadn't seen  _them_  in any of the photos; though Chuck  _had_  remembered to tell her that Bolonia had already traded shifts to get their original wedding date off and hadn't been able to be at the rescheduled ceremony. Bolonia had gone overboard for their renewal present, making enough food for the rehearsal picnic dinner to feed five times as many people as were there. She'd even managed to overstuff  _Jeff Barnes_.)

Dad hadn't put in an appearance -- if being around Sarah for anything  _real_  made him feel embarrassed and awkward, being around Mom would've made things ten times worse -- but Sarah  _had_  gotten a brief voicemail from him this morning. From a phone that wasn't even his, naturally, crowing about having "cleaned out good ol' Daphne for ya, darlin'." Sarah assumed she was supposed to know whomever this Daphne was; probably an ex-girlfriend who'd screwed Dad over on a con and cost Sarah a visit or some special trip when she was a kid.

She should let Chuck hear the message later; he'd feel better knowing that his father-in-law had at least made an effort.

Jack Burton or no Jack Burton, though, Sarah is absolutely  _surrounded_  by love. Love of friends, love of family.

But most of all, Chuck's.

He keeps sneaking these adoring, understanding glances at her. Like he's making sure she's not getting overwhelmed with all this frenetic activity and all of these people. Like he'd do all this a dozen times over for her, if that's what she wanted.

"Hey, Bartowski, eyes front, we're burnin' daylight here."

Casey remembered to call her  _Bartowski_. Now Sarah can't help but grin madly, all the joy inside of her threatening to burst out. She feels like her face might end up permanently frozen in such a smile.

It's  _perfect_.

**Author's Note:**

> Prompted by purpleaffair, re: the foreign words meme on Tumblr.
> 
> Photos from Stephanie Diani's shoot of Yvonne Strahovski prior to the 2013 Emmys, for the New York Times.


End file.
